Podcasting in Primary Schools

Podcasting in Primary

When I first started thinking about the use of podcasts in primary school classrooms my initial reaction was that they would be of limited use.  I thought that they would not be able to hold student's attention for long, that they were limited to what came up on an iTunes search.  But like so many things in this course, a bit of research gave me a much different perspective.

I found that while podcasts can be downloaded from iTunes or other online sources, they are also fairly easy to create.  The implications for creating your own podcast, or having your students create their own are much more diverse.

Strengths: 

• As podcasts are online, they are accessible any time and from a wide variety of devices.  This is particularly helpful for students who may miss important information in class due to absences.
• Particularly useful for creating a 'screencast' podcast, walking students through computer processes (for example creating their own website or creating a digital video).  Students are then able to work at their own pace or complete work at home (Lesage, S. 2009).
• There are already a wide range of podcasts that cover a vast amount of educational content, giving teachers yet another readily available pool of resources to choose from (and are mostly free).
• Students are able to upload their podcasts to iTunes; knowing they have a potentially global audience may increase student engagement in their task (Vincent, T. n.d.)

Weaknesses: 

• Put simply, there are a lot of crap podcasts out there.  So there are a lot to sift through to find useful podcasts which can be a very time consuming process.  (That said, one of the most important skills of technological literacy is being able to determine what is valuable information and what is not.  So I can see the value in being skilled in sifting through said crap.)
• They are time consuming and very hard to search.  One of the biggest reasons I have never really gotten into podcasts is that I haven't got the patience or time to sit there and simply listen for the main points of information.  I much prefer other online resources where I can simply search for specific pieces of information rather than having to listen to or watch an entire episode or series, then sift through the bulk of the information for the main points.  

I did have a look around on iTunes and found quite a few podcasts that could be useful in the classroom;

• Kid Friday: Made by kids for kids, exploring the different types of technology and their uses.  I found it painful to watch, but I could see how kids could respond to it as it's made by other kids.  It also has a companion website that includes links to most of the things they talk about it. https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/kidfriday-apps-websites-gadgets/id344979790?mt=2
• BBC Learning Listen and Play: an audio podcast which encourages listeners to answer questions such as "what kind of animal do you think makes this sound?".  It also includes songs about animals and their habitats and behaviours.  My kids (aged 5 and 2) really enjoyed this podcast and had a lot of fun guessing the animal noises. https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/listen-and-play-bbc-learning/id332923870?mt=2
• Hooked on Phonics: This video podcast is great for learning phonics, particularly for Prep classes as it includes catchy songs and repitition. It kept my 5 year old's attention, and it didn't take long for her to start singing along.  Highly recommended. https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/hooked-on-phonics/id318331495?mt=2  
• Sesame Street: This is a great podcast and covers a huge range of content.  Sesame Street has got a great reputation for education and this is another way they present their material.  Most kids are familiar with the Sesame Street characters, and this held both of my kids attention.  This would have to be my favourite podcast so far.  https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/sesame-street-podcast/id264537349?mt=2 

Overall I can see how podcasts could be used in classrooms, although I'm not convinced that they are the best way to present information.  I personally prefer websites, blogs and wikis for both teacher and student use as they are generally more interactive for more student engagement.

References

Lesage, S. (2009). Podcasting as an Educational Tool. Accessed 5th April, 2013 from http://www.devia.be/news/article/podcasting-as-an-educational-tool/ 

Vincent, T. (n.d.) Podcasting. Accessed 5th April, 2013 from http://learninginhand.com/podcasting/